Music Magnified

Stellar Interlock

with Lucid Illusion, Aladocious and Winterlock

By Simon McCormack

Stellar Interlock

Saturday, Aug. 5, Atomic Cantina (21-and-over); Free: Durango’s Stellar Interlock (who formerly donned the much better, but already utilized name Pop Shove It) plays aggressive, resonating indie punk with a surprising amount of ‘tude for a bunch of clean-cut everyday Joes from the Southwest. Their sound seems as though it’s caught somewhere between the grunge era’s Jane’s Addiction, the Ramones’ style of quick-hitting punk and Queens of the Stone Age’s brand of neo-alt rock--all with an indie tilt.

The band’s debut release, Disengage, was mastered by Ed Stasium, who has worked with everyone from Living Colour and Biohazard to the aforementioned Ramones. The album’s content indicates that the band likes to either go for a jaded, darker, more adamant sound or a whimsical, melodic and decidedly slower-paced style of play. Either way, the drums are expressive, even when low-key. The guitar shakes the walls with reverberation and the vocals, lead or backing, echo as if announcing an impending apocalypse. Lyrically, Stellar Interlock dabbles in puns and even breaks into full-scale bleating on “Scapegoats.”

When you inevitably find yourself meandering around Downtown on Saturday, take the short detour over to Gold Street where the Atomic always chases away the cover charge blues without skimping on talent.